Walking: Supporting Developmental Milestones

Developmental milestones represent how the BRAIN the brain and body are changing. A baby’s brain, in general, develops from the back (the location responsible for reflexes, vision centers, and overall muscle tone of the body). As they grow and develop, the brain makes more connections moving forward, crossing side-to-side and eventually into the front of the brain.

This development, step by step, is crucial for balance and coordination, sensory processing, and mental reasoning. It is so exciting to see your baby progress and advance, we just can’t seem to help ourselves from trying to push them along. Let’s learn how to support these natural stages so you can enjoy watching your baby flourish.

If development is delayed, specialized pediatric chiropractic care can be helpful! Removing tension patterns, optimizing communication between the brain and the body, and providing parents with helpful tips and exercises can make all the difference. Discussing and assessing developmental milestones is a normal part of wellness pediatric chiropractic visits.

Babies generally begin to walk between 10-14 months of age. Remember, we want to ensure strong coordination between their brain and body.

How to support a healthy beginning to baby walking:

~ Baby should be initiating walking on their own usually by cruising along furniture

~ Barefoot or soft-soled, flexible shoes for maximum sensory input and foot mobility

~ If you want to encourage them to walk to you, get down on the floor at their level, and support them with two hands on their hips or reach out to one hand at their level.

~ While cruising the furniture, sit just a little bit away from where they are and encourage them to come to you. Placing toys at the other end of the couch or coffee table can also entice them to cruise along!

What can hinder them from developing a healthy walking pattern?

~ Baby Walkers whether seated in them or push walkers (those wheels can go faster than they can and encourages leaning forward, being propelled, instead of learning balance and control)

~ Standing up with their arms raised while you hold their hands. This changes their center of gravity making it harder to learn balance, inhibits the normal pattern of arm and leg movement which is crucial for sensory development in the brain and can strain the elbows, shoulders, and upper spine. (Have you tried walking around with your hands in the air?)